Recoilless gun mechanism



Aug. 6, y1946. i c. L. EKsERGlAN RECOILLESS GUN MEGHANISM Fil'ed April 5, 1944 INVENTOR. l Carolus LESergL'an/ .H TTOENEYV Patented Aug. 6, 1946 nEooILLEss GUN MncnANIsM "(iarolusL; EksergiamDetroit, Mich., assigner, by

Imesne assignments, to United States of America - 42Ciaims.

I vhis` invention relatesv to guns, cannons and ing the tendency toward rotation of thegun cident lto rifiing of the gun barrel.

The primary object of vthe present invention is the provision in a gas discharge chamber of a recoilless gun or the like of an improved vane arrangement of simplified construction and means for mounting the same whichis capable of economical manufacture and easy assembly.

With the above and other objects in view which will be apparent from the following description Ito those yskilled in the art to which the invention appertains, the present Vinvention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed.

In the drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the invention: c

,Figure l is an'end'view ofthe recoilless ,gun mechanism, and f Y Figure 2 `is a longitudinal section taken approximately on line 2--2 of Figure 1. i

Referring to the drawing,`the recoillessmechanism includes an elongated casing 5 coaxial with andexternally threaded to the rearward end of a gun barrel 6, the internal wall of the casing 5 being `contoured to provide a chamber l and an axially opening Venturi passaage 8 having a restricted throat 9.

Arranged within the chamber I is a spider element I having a hub Il and radially outwardly extending legs I2. The ends of the legs I2 are engaged with that portion of the inner wall surface of the casing which tapers inwardly toward the throat 9.

The spider element I0 is formed with an axial opening I3 which supports a tubular element I, the tubular element having a shouldered or flange portion I5 which seats in a counterbore or recess I6 at the forward side of the hub II to prevent movement of the tubular element I4 rearwardly through the opening I3. The tubular element Ill is closed at its forward end by a screw II having a rounded head, and at its rearward end by a cap screw I8 having a chamber I9 therein and a pair of small apertures through its head. For- Wardly of the spider element I0, the passageway 2| which extends from end to end `:if the tubular element I4 is provided with cross passages 22.

This forward portion of the tubular element, that is, the portion which extends forwardly of (CLSB-1) y l the spider element I0, supports the explosive charge 23, the pressure developed from the firing of the `same projecting the shell or projectile (not shown) from the gun'barreli. The charge 23 is of annular formation and is inserted through the'muzzle end of the gun barrel and slid over the tubular element I4, the rounded head of the screw Il facilitating the disposition of the charge 23 on the tubular element I.

Aash charge `(not shown) is carried Vin the chamber- I9 of the screw I8 and is electrically ignited by ignition wires (not shown) extending through the apertures 20. The ash or name resulting from ignition of the ash charge travels through the passageway 2i and thence through cross passages .22 to ignite the propelling charge In order to counteract and resist the rotative effect of the gun barrel, incident to the riing of the gun barrel, during firing of the projectile, a vaned member `2li is utilized. The varied member 24 embodies a conical hub 25 and a plurality of vanes 2B extending outwardly therefrom, the plane of each vane being at an angle to the axis of the hub 25 whereby the gases exhausting through the Venturi passaage 8 will impinge against the side lfaces thereof. The vanes Aare of a gradually increasing depth in the rearward direction and have substantially the same taper as the exhaust side of the Venturi passage 8. The hub 25 is provided with a central opening 2'I through which the rearward side of the tubular element I4 extends, and the end of this portion of the tubular element I4 is externally threaded to carry a. nut 28. Upon tightening of the nut 28 against the hub 25 of the vaned member 25, the Vaned member 24 and the spider element lil, by reason of the engagement of the shoulder le therewith, are moved relatively toward each other, thus bringing the ends of the legs I2 into abutting engagement with the wall surface of the chamber 'l and the outermost tapered end faces of the vanes 26 into engagement with the tapered wall of the discharge side of the Venturi passage 8. Tightening of the nut 28 thus produces a clamping effect which securely locks the spider element I0 and vaned member 24 in position without the necessity of utilizing supplemental securing means, such as for example, bolts and screws.

There is thus provided a novel arrangement whereby by simply removing the nut 28, the varied member 2d, the spider element I0, and the tubular element I4 can be easily and quickly removed for replacement by new parts of the same or dif- Vmeans for the spider element, such as bolts and screws are eliminated. It is to be understood, however, that such replacement of parts, except for the vaned member, is accomplished when the casing 5 is Unthreaded from thesgun barrel 6.V It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the detailed construction and arrangement of the parts des. scribed without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, the scope of which is'de-Vv ned by the appended claims.. A

What is claimed is: "r if j; l 1. In a tubular casing having a portion of its 4 of said vaned member in clamping yengagement respectively with said stepped portion and tapering wall. ,A

3. In a recoilless gun mechanism, a tubular casing lhaving a pressure chamber at one end and a Y discharge passage at the other end, the inner wall o f saidgcasings-dening,saidachamberfand passage 'fand'.-beingifstepped radiallyfnwardly ,between said chamber and passage to denne an entrance 4throat of reduced diameter for said passage, the

.:hubmanldV outwardly extending legs, the outer ends inner wall surface stepped radiallyinwardly in- I termediate its ends to define athr'oat `of reduced" diameter, and the portion thereof between. .said j throat and one end thereof of gradually increasins diameter, asupperiins Spider having, a rodlike portion extending coaxially within said por'- tion of gradually iriereasias diameter aad leerer? Jions axially abutting said, stepped .,Periieri, Yaaed. member .slidably .Suppertee said Iodlike portion and `having outwardlym -extendit'ig Yanes, Said Yanes .having radally-,eutermeeie111?- faces thereof engaging said wall portion'of gradually' increasing diameteriandmeaaaiileag.,Said varied. member and Supporting Snider toward. each other Vinto tightly gripping .lrictionral engagement respectively with the wall portions engaged therel Y ,Y i' U. Y 2,. 1n a tubular casing having its'inner wall Vsurface gradually decreasing in diameter fromfone end for a portion of its length and uthen forfan adjacent portion of its length stepped radially outwardly to define a Venturi passage,l al spider ele; ment having a hub portion and radially outward- 1y extending 1egs, saidlegs axiallyengagingfsaid stepped. PartienZ a Vahed member Within .Said Yen# turi passage having Aa. hub vand aplurality of vvaries extending outwardly tl'ierefron'i, s aidbvanes taper; in g substantially Athe same as and legagedfwith thertapering wall ofsaid Venturi passage, a-ispnf die. extending eeaxiallv threushaad hib.. ieiie andthe huieef Said. `Varied member; ,and means on saidwspindle` element forcing said spider'lel; meat and varied member toward, eaehfiher' with the legs of said spindle elementl andmthefvanes vf; of saidlegs axiallyengaging the stepped portion l5 of said wall, a vaned member within said discharge passage and having spaced vanes periph- `e'rally"engagingthe flaring wail of said passage, (and means coacting with said spider and vaned member to force the legs of said spider and the vanes of said vaned member into wedging engagement respectively With said step d flaring wall.' t y 4. In 'a recoilless gun mechanism ing having'a pressure chamber ali-,jv y Y y e discharge passage Hat theY other end, theinrfierY wall of said casing defining said chamberfand passage and being stepped radially 'inwardly-between' said chamber and passage lto define a'n entrance throat of reduced diameter for saidv passagefthewall of said passage flaring outwardlyr toward vsaid other end,` a spider ywithin said chambery having ahub and outwardly' `extending legs, the outerA ends of said legs axially engaging'thestepped portion of said wall, a vaned member within said discharge y passage and having a hub por-tion andafplurality of vanes extending'outwardly therefrom, Apori tions at least of saidv vanes engaging lsaid flaring wall, a charge supporting spindle extending'caxL ially through said hub and'said hub portion and projecting beyond said hub portion and having a shoulder portion engaging said ,spider 'at the side opposite saidl throat, anda nut't'hreaded Yon the projecting end of said spindle in engagement with said hub portion to, in cooperation with said shoulder Portion, frce` 'saidfvaned member and spindle axiallytoward each other ,and Athereby clamp said `vanes` and legs against the wall 'portions engagedV thereby.

YCAROLUSy L. 'nKsERGIAiv; 

